Tools
Introduction
Before you start using the monitoring tools, it is crucial to configure the communication base between your laboratories. For this, we use a dedicated Docker network called br-lab. The br-lab network facilitates the integration of analysis tools with the laboratories created in Containerlab, eliminating the need to repeatedly configure each tool for different laboratories.
Step 1: Configuring the br-lab Docker Network
Access the br-lab Network Configuration Guide to configure your Docker network. This network will be responsible for efficiently connecting your laboratories to the monitoring system, allowing multiple tools to function in an integrated manner.
Step 2: Choosing a Monitoring Tool
After configuring the br-lab network, you can select the tool that best suits your needs. Each of the tools listed below offers specific functionalities for different types of monitoring, whether it is network devices, traffic, or logs.
Tool Comparison
The following table provides an overview of the tools we cover in our tutorials, highlighting their main features, type of monitoring, and pricing options:
Table: Monitoring Tool Comparison
| Tools | Collection and Integration Technologies | Cost | Implementation Difficulty | Integrations | Strengths | Community/Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zabbix | SNMP, ICMP, JMX, IPMI, API_rest, Agent, | Free | Easy | Grafana, prometheus,elastic, kafka, Graylog, ..etc | Advanced alerts | Complete |
| ELK Stack | Syslog, IPFIX , Netflow, SNMP, ICMP | Freemium | Moderate | Fleet, logstash, filebeat, grafana, .etc | Centralized log analysis, Ready-made dashboards | Complete |
| Telegraf + InfluxDB + Grafana | SNMP, IPFIX, SFLOW, Syslog, gMNIC, Netflow, GRPC, etc | Freemium | Moderate | Prometheus, Loki, | Modular and scalable stack | Extensive |
| LibreNMS | SNMP, Syslog, API_Rest | Free | Easy | Grafana, Graylog, Proxmox | Autodiscovery | Medium |
Step 3: Implementation and Testing
After selecting the most suitable tool, follow the specific tutorials to configure and integrate the chosen solution with your network environment created in Containerlab. Each guide offers step-by-step instructions to ensure a smooth and functional integration of the monitoring tools with your laboratories.
Test Scenario Examples:
- Monitoring Network Devices with LibreNMS: Configure LibreNMS to monitor switches and routers within your laboratory.
- Log and Event Analysis with ELK Stack: Collect and visualize log data generated by network devices.
- Packet Capture with EDSHARK: Perform network diagnostics and analyze captured packets directly from routers.
br-lab Network Configuration and Fixed Addresses
All tools are configured to be attached to the br-lab network, and to facilitate their use, regardless of the laboratory, they have fixed IPs. These IPs can be consulted in the list below, allowing you to connect directly to each tool without the need for additional configurations for each new laboratory.
Table: Fixed IPs of the Tools
| Service | IP | Stack |
|---|---|---|
| librenms-db | 172.10.10.100 | librenms |
| librenms-redis | 172.10.10.101 | librenms |
| librenms-msmtpd | 172.10.10.102 | librenms |
| librenms-librenms | 172.10.10.103 | librenms |
| librenms-dispatcher | 172.10.10.104 | librenms |
| librenms-syslogng | 172.10.10.105 | librenms |
| librenms-snmptrapd | 172.10.10.106 | librenms |
| elk-setup | 172.10.10.107 | ELK |
| elk-elasticsearch | 172.10.10.108 | ELK |
| elk-kibana | 172.10.10.109 | ELK |
| elk-fleet-server | 172.10.10.110 | ELK |
| grafana-grafana | 172.10.10.111 | Grafana |
| grafana-influxdb | 172.10.10.112 | Grafana |
| grafana-chronograf | 172.10.10.113 | Grafana |
| grafana-telegraf | 172.10.10.114 | Grafana |
| zabbix-server | 172.10.10.115 | Zabbix |
| zabbix-frontend | 172.10.10.116 | Zabbix |
| zabbix-agent | 172.10.10.117 | Zabbix |
| zabbix-database | 172.10.10.118 | Zabbix |
These fixed IPs ensure stable and facilitated communication between the tools and the laboratories configured in Containerlab. This allows you to efficiently integrate multiple monitoring tools without having to redefine network configurations for each new laboratory.
This addition includes the Docker network configuration, the explanation about the fixed IPs, and how they facilitate the integration of tools in your laboratory environment.
Future Tools
We are constantly testing and adding new tools to our repertoire. Some options we are considering exploring soon include:
- Prometheus: Monitoring and data visualization server.
- OpenElastic: A scalable and flexible solution for auditing logs and events, based on the Elastic Stack.
- OpenNMS: Robust tool for monitoring networks and systems, with a focus on large-scale networks.
- Akivorado: Data flow monitoring tool for networks.
These tools can be integrated into your laboratory environment with Containerlab, allowing you to create a robust ecosystem for network management and analysis.